


Daylight and Shadow

by Readingnerd22



Series: Jlaire Week 2018 [4]
Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Tumblr: jlaireweek, sunlight and shadow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 05:38:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15284847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Readingnerd22/pseuds/Readingnerd22
Summary: Sorry it took so long to post this story. I have a few more to post, so please bare with me.





	Daylight and Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it took so long to post this story. I have a few more to post, so please bare with me.

 

 “Are you sure about this?” Jim peered through the thicket’s shadows, toward a sleepy Arcadia. The sun was peaking over the hills on the outskirts of the city, slowly setting on the town.

 “I’m positive,” Toby’s amour glinted in the dying light, his hammer ready for action. “She came this way a few days ago. Some people have seen her in town, but only for fleeting moments.”

  Jim sighed, surveying the area. Claire had been acting weird for awhile now. She had been having nightmares lately, which Jim tried to comfort her, but she would say it wasn’t a problem and shut him down before he could question her on the issue.

  As the weeks progressed, she grew jumpy around Jim and Blinky, as if she was hiding something. She would almost always avoid eye contact, and was always tense, ready to fight or run off. When Jim finally cornered her to try to figure out what was going on, she just disappeared. She had somehow opened a portal to the shadow realm and dropped down, closing it before Jim could react, even with his heightened troll senses.

  He had run to Blinky to inform him, unsure of how to react. Blinky took this with much surprise, and the pair went to question Merlin to see if he would know the root of the problem.

 “She’s been doing WHAT!” Jim growled at the old wizard, praying he didn’t hear him right.

  Merlin rolled his eyes, completely unimpressed. “I’ve been teaching her the dark arts.” He crossed his arms, calmly glancing at the trollhunter and troll leader.

 “And you thought was a good idea?” Blinky confronted the man, his six eyes burning.

 “She needs to be ready for any new magical enemies that may come.” Merlin made his way back to his workbench, tinkering with some parts, “how else is she supposed to become stronger?”

  Jim roared, summoning his amour, “You don’t think it would be wise to have consulted us first?”

 “And given you the chance to talk her out of it,” He turned to the young troll, “not likely.”

  Jim punched a nearby wall before lowering his gaze, knowing he probably was right, in his own twisted thinking.

 “Doesn’t matter,” Blinky made an effort to stand taller, trying to intimidate the wizard “You have already endangered the children, on multiple occasions. You may be a wizard, but I have made the mistake of allowing you train Claire, as well as travel with us.”

  “Well your opinion doesn’t matter…” Jim tuned out the conversation, stunned that Claire wouldn’t share this life changing information. He lumbered out, leaving the two to bicker. He walked around New Trollmarket, dazed, unsure of what to do next.

  He received a call from Toby the next morning, where Toby hastily explained where Claire was and when she was seen last. He quickly made his way to the new gyro sphere, sending a message to Blinky saying he would be gone for a few days.

 “Jim,” Toby’s harsh whispers brought Jim back to the present, Jim picking up a familiar scent, but it was somehow different. His ears perked up at the rustle of leaves. He held up a hand, hoping Toby would stop, before pulling out the sword of daylight. 

 “Claire” He gazed toward the edge of the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He turned to Toby, “I need you to stay here Tobes.”

 “Wait,” Toby was confused, “Why?”

 “She’s…” Jim didn’t know how to explain the recent problems. “She’s not her normal self and…”

 “Jim, you’ve got to let me help!” Toby exclaimed, readying to charge into the forest. Jim grabbed him by the shoulders, stopping his progress.

 “And I don’t know what she is capable of,” Jim stared his friend dead in the eye, “and I want a chance to talk to her before anything else happens.” His grip relaxed off Toby, “Do you understand?”

  Toby contemplated for a moment.

  Jim held his breath.

  One… Two… Thre…

 “On one condition.” Toby’s gazed steeled, “At the first sign of trouble, I’m bounding in to rescue you.” He held out his hand “Deal”

 “Deal” Jim grabbed his arm and shook. “I’ll be back.” He turned from Toby and heard a faint call.

 “Jim”

  He bounded off, toward the voice he knew so well, but a deep chill settled in his stomach. Something was off, so wrong. Very, very wrong. He leapt up a tree to get better vantage of the forest. As he scoured the horizon, he heard Claire call his name, closer than before.

 “Claire,” He called out, hoping to get a response.

 There was a rustle down below, making Jim turn his attention to the floor below.

 “Jim” came another call. He jumped down, landing on all fours. He stood, clipping his sword on his back, and made his way a few feet before seeing her. She was leaning up against a tree, the shadow staff somehow laying against her lap. She appeared to be resting, but Jim knew she wasn’t. He could hear her heart beat, which was going around eighty beats per minute. She was, excited, about something.

 “Claire?” Jim poked his head around the tree, putting himself in her line of sight.

 “Hey Jim,” She looked up, giving the troll a slim smile.

  Jim’s guard went up immediately. His gut tightened as she stood, her grip on the staff tightening.

 “Where have you been, Claire?” he took a step toward her, reaching for her hand. She took a step back, lifting her weapon as if to block some blow.

 “Around,” She shifted her feet, not meeting his gaze. He took a step back and sighed.

 “Will you please tell me what’s going on?”

   She looked up toward him, her eye’s full of sorrow. “Merlin’s been…” tears began to well up in her eyes. “Merlin’s been training me some of the Morgana’s spells. Well all of them really.”

   Jim growled, baring his fangs as he did.

 “I asked him,” she held up her hands in defense, “He said I needed to…”

 “What about telling us,” Jim kept his voice as low as possible, trying to stay calm. “At least some sort of warning?”

 “Why,” She questioned, getting angry “Why do I have to tell you everything that I do when it comes to Merlin?” Her hands began to glow, light purple sparks dancing across her skin.

 “I don’t trust Merlin, at all” He crossed his arms, “especially when it comes to magic.”

 “It’s not like he’s trying to kill me,” she threw her left hand in the air, her right holding the staff. A shot of purple light shot of into the air, causing Jim to jump back, shield up. 

  Claire pulled her hand back, staring at it for a moment. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

 “It’s ok.” Jim dropped his shield, putting his hands up to try and defuse the situation. He peaked a the staff, curious about how it could be here.

 “How did you get the staff?” 

  She glared at him, wiping her tears away. “I made it.”

  He gaped, unsure on how to respond.

 “Merlin showed me how to recreate the staff, but it’s tethered to me.” She showed him the staff, it looked like Morgana’s old staff, but it differed slightly. Its hilt was sliver with a golden inlay, and the staff itself was made of the same alloy as the sword of daylight.

 “So…” Jim hesitated, “no more Morgana?”

 “No more Morgana.” She sheathed her weapon, taking a step toward Jim. “I promise.”

 “Good.” He rushed in, pulling her in for a hug. “Please, give me more warning. I can’t lose you.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, feeling the amour pulse beneath her fingers. “I’m sorry, but you have to understand.”

 “I’ll try to, but it’s hard. You help keep me stable.” Jim gently rested his chin on the head. “You’re my sunlight. You help keep me focused and out of the shadows.”

 “I know I seem different, but I’m still me.” She pulled away, looking into his eyes. “I promise.”  

 “I’m... sorry.” He took a deep breath, “I’ll try not to overreact.”

  Claire stood on her tiptoes, giving her love a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.” She pulled away.

 “I love you to.” He grabbed her hand, and they began making their way back to Arcadia.


End file.
